We had the good fortune of connecting with Toni Liu Md and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Toni, what principle do you value most?
The principle of unconditional love & worthiness matters most to me. It drives everything that I do and am. Having grown up with harsh, conditional love in a demanding Asian immigrant household, I know the pain firsthand of feeling like I’m never good enough or that who I am is WRONG. I don’t fit into the norm in many ways, as an overweight, queer, neurodivergent nomad and crazy artist, and I spent 30 years of my life trying to hide my authentic self to please my family, to fit in and desperately grasp onto a sense of belonging, as an obedient well-behaved doctor. It is still painful being an outcast and being called and treated as a “failure,” but now having lived both lives, I would rather be true to my heart than continuing to live a lie, no matter how “successful” that life may seem to others.

I deeply believe that every human being is worthy and deserving of love, respect, kindness, and care, no matter who they are, what they’ve done or haven’t done, what mistakes they made, or flaws or quirks they have. I believe that every person is inherently good and they only hurt others if they have been hurt themselves in some way. Every person is so unique and deserves the space and celebration to be who they TRULY are, not what others want them to be. It’s my life’s mission to help everyone feel comfortable in their own skin, fully express themselves, and find their tribe of people who love them exactly as they are, so they can thrive and live their most authentic, joyful, and meaningful lives.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been drawing as long as I’ve been conscious and always felt my soul’s purpose was to create to bring joy to others. As it’s evolved, I’ve weaved in my life experiences with mental health, body image struggles, eating disorders, multicultural identity, feminism, social justice, unconventional living, traveling, nomading, financial independence, and more, so that my art carries a MISSION & messages, to inspire, change perspectives, and/or warm hearts. My style is influenced by Japanese anime/manga and I love the storytelling piece over pure aesthetics.

It was incredibly hard to change careers, especially after so much formal training in medicine. I overcame this by expanding my identity beyond an MD, to a holistic, creative healer, not completely uprooting and changing it, which also felt like betraying my family and roots. My past is a part of me and I honor all my experiences and transferrable skills that make me who I am today, and I don’t regret a thing. I learned that a profession is not about the money but about the passion and heart. You ARE an artist even if your art doesn’t make much money; that would just be a bonus. If it feels right as one of your life’s purposes, if it’s something that you love to spend your time doing, and makes an impact on the world even if it’s just on yourself and your own joy, that is a vocation/calling! I want the world to know that my brand is multi-passionate and I stand for the integration of ALL parts of yourselves, even if they don’t seem to be related at all!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ve been nomadic for 6 years but one of my favorite “homes” was Chiang Mai, Thailand. I’d take them to all the beautiful hikes and waterfalls, the elephant sanctuary, awe-inspiring temples, Thai massages, and delicious, abundant food and fruit all around!! Northern Thailand is known for Khao Soi, a curry noodle dish, and of course there are the classic Pad Thai, other noodles, curries, rice dishes and more! I loved the ultimate frisbee community there, a beautiful integrated group of locals and foreigners, who always eat together after each game and hang out all the time outside of it as well!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shoutout to my first life & business coach, Yunzhe Zhou! I had no idea what coaching was or that it existed before meeting her. We have so many points of resonance – she was also a daughter of Asian immigrants, a spiritual creative, holistic healer, dancer, and nomad at the time. I sooo appreciated her warmth, kindness, gentle wisdom, and loving guidance as I continued my own journey of living true to my heart. She is an inspiration and role model! And she often said exactly what I needed to hear to keep going, renew my faith, and believe in myself. So grateful for you, Yunzhe!! <3

Website: https://DrTooni.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/DrTooni

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tong-liu-md-a8019996/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/toniliu88

Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/DrTooni

Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/accept-then-achieve/id1718828043

https://podbay.fm/p/accept-then-achieve/about#google_vignette

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.